


V-Day

by writelikeitsgoingoutofstyle (twoandahalfslytherins)



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angelica is an editor, F/M, Slight D/s Dynamics, alex is a writer, preship, what could go wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-23 21:11:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9677648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twoandahalfslytherins/pseuds/writelikeitsgoingoutofstyle
Summary: One day Alex would unpack whether it was shame or arousal he felt whenever she looked at him like that. One day, in the future, when there was no chance of her finding out.Perhaps with the help of a therapist.Or a dominatrix.They have a strict 'no working on holidays' rule, but quite frankly, Alex doesn't think Valentine's day is much of a holiday.





	

One minute there were words on his screen.

Beautiful, beautiful words. 

The next? They were gone. By the time Alex tried to ctrl+z them back into place the screen was filled with only one sentence.

_I expect you to have showered by the time I arrive -A_

Fuck.

Alex glanced at the clock. A little after six. His editor lived at least thirty minutes away and he could wash his hair in the sink in less than five. Which meant twenty-five minutes to try and keep up his flow-

But when he went to type, the words didn’t appear. Which meant his permission on the document had been revoked. The idea of opening up a new google doc was tempting, but the password to his email account was something he’d given up weeks ago. If she really wanted to? She could check.

So maybe he should shower. Try and be good, to mitigate whatever lecture he was about to receive. 

Not that he thought he deserved one. They had a rule about not working on holidays, sure, but valentine’s day hardly counted. What did she think he was going to do? Go to a bar tonight? Try to pick up someone? Considering she’d been the one who wanted him to break it off with Thomas she had to know that he didn’t have anyone to spend tonight with. 

Whatever her logic, Alex didn’t have time to sit around grousing. Pushed himself away from the kitchen table only to cringe as the room around him really sunk in.

Sink overflowing with dishes, takeout containers stacked on the counters- there was no way that she was going to let that slide. Not to mention that the rest of his apartment wasn’t any better. Dirty clothes, trash, not to mention scattered bits of his notes were everywhere. 

Maybe he could text her? Claim that he wasn’t working at home, that if she wanted to see him, she needed to go to the coffee shop?

Somehow Alex doubted that lying would fly either. 

Fuck.

Trash. Best to start with the trash. Alex snagged a garbage bag from the pantry and threw everything that he could in there. Focused on the kitchen and living room, the two places that she was most likely to see. Tied up the bag once he was sure that he’d grabbed all of it and shoved it into the pantry. No need to waste time actually taking it outside. Not when he still needed to put things in the dishwasher.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Or at least, that had been his plan.

The doorbell ringing ten minutes earlier than expected ruined everything.

So- apologies it was. Something about not having felt good that week? No, she would know better. Maybe he could claim to have been spending time away from home- that would be okay. She would like that. Always wanted Alex to spend more time ‘fostering his relationships’ whatever the fuck that meant.

Just about had his script ready when he opened the door, “Angeli-”

“You can’t even follow basic instructions?” Exasperated, Angelica pushed past him, carrying two plastic bags. “Bedroom, now.”

Anyone else and Alex would make a joke about how suggestive that came off. But despite the strangeness of their relationship, Angelica was his boss. His highly ticked off boss at the moment and despite what she probably thought, Alex didn’t actually enjoy pissing her off. Not without a good reason at least.

Dawdling wasn’t a good reason.

Not that he particularly wanted Angelica in his bedroom. He’d barely managed to get the rest of the house cleaned up and it didn’t seem worthwhile to try and tidy things while she put her bags down. But Angelica didn’t do much more than give the area an unimpressed look when she finally followed him. Crossed her arms instead, toe of one shiny high heel tapping impatiently. “Well? Go on. Unless you need me to undress you, too.”

Alex’s hands were on his buckle when Angelica sighed. “In the bathroom, you ridiculous child.”

Right. Because Alex was the one who was being ridiculous. 

Considered going into the shower without grabbing clothes first, since she seemed so keen on dictating everything. But something told Alex that walking naked in front of his editor was begging for a sexual harassment lawsuit and no amount of ‘she started it’ would change that. 

So jeans and a t-shirt it was. Aware of the who was waiting outside for him, Alex bathed quickly. Took the longest time on his hair, knew that if he didn’t make sure ‘that mop’ was clean she’d just make him go back and try again.

Did his best to wring it out with a towel before dressing and stepping back into his bedroom, biting back a groan at the sight of his dirty clothes stacked in a pile in the corner of his room. A large dose of embarrassment that didn’t go away when Angelica looked him over, eyes trailing slowly from the sloppy bun he’d thrown his hair into all the way down to his bare toes on the carpet.

“Passable.” One day Alex would unpack whether it was shame or arousal he felt whenever she looked at him like that. One day, in the future, when there was no chance of her finding out. 

Perhaps with the help of a therapist.

Or a dominatrix.

Alex shook his head of that thought, following Angelica out of his room and toward the kitchen. Cringed when she opened up the cabinets to look for plates, but she didn’t make a comment on how bare the space was compared to the open dishwasher. Or maybe it wasn’t a bad thing if they were in there, after all, it at least looked like he cared if they were clean.

“We’re going to eat dinner,” Angelica informed him as she unpacked the takeout containers she’d brought. “And then you’re going to clean this place up before I decide to confiscate your computer.”

Arguing that she didn’t actually have that right wouldn’t make the night go any smoother, and truth was, Alex couldn’t remember the last time that he’d eaten.

Spent most of this morning drinking coffee while doing an interview and then the afternoon- well, he’d spent the afternoon meeting up with someone who thought they had an idea for a decent piece. It wasn’t Alex’s fault that there was always more to be done, more prep work to do, more people to talk to.

Eating just slowed him down.

A sentiment that Angelica never agreed with. 

“Thanks,” Alex murmured as he took a seat at the table. “You didn’t have to do this.”

Angelica raised an eyebrow. “Did you forget that I get messaged when you edit shared documents?”

No. But he also hadn’t thought she’d do anything about it. Not only was it not a real holiday, Angelica was far likelier than himself to have something to do tonight. Which- “No romantic dinner with what's his face?”

James? Jake? John? Alex hadn’t seen him around in a while, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. As Angelica liked to tell him, he was oblivious to everything when he was working. Angelica could have been fucking John in front of him and he probably wouldn’t notice.

Or well, maybe Alex would have noticed that.

Angelica took her time answering him, taking a few bites before shrugging. “It didn’t work out, thought it was best to end things right before Christmas so that we didn’t have to exchange gifts.”

Harsh. Though her wording left whose idea it was up in the air so Alex resisted the urge to say as such. The last thing he wanted to do was second guess Angelica’s judgment. If she didn’t think the thing with John was going anywhere? Then it wasn’t going anywhere.

But that was also two months ago. Angelica was an attractive professional in her thirties, no reason to go through that long of a dry spell. Not that it was any of Alex’s business.

Awkwardly Alex rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sure you’ll find someone soon.”

Another raised eyebrow. “My phone goes off at all hours of the night, half the time I have to physically watch you eat because if not, you just put it to the side. What kind of guy do you think is going to want to compete with that?”

Oh. That was- that was not a flattering image of himself at all. “I could be better?” What did Angelica always say? Not to bother lying to her. If Alex could be better, he would have done it already. “I could hire a babysitter? I make enough-”

To hire someone to treat him like a child. To remind him to eat and go to sleep. The fact that Alex needed that was humiliating. Made him want to snap back that he’d done fine before her. That he didn’t need her to mother him. 

But the truth was, even if he wasn’t as productive at one time as he once was- he didn’t spend days laid out like he had when Washington was his editor. Angelica didn’t push and push for more and more work with the expectation that he’d spend weeks out of the game recovering from his latest stint. Instead, she forced him to slow down so that he didn’t wear himself out completely.

“I don’t mind checking in on you. Making sure that you’re on track is part of my job, and I don’t mind the company during lunch every now and then.” There was something off about Angelica’s tone that Alex couldn’t quite place. “I would, however, appreciate it if you put in an effort to recognize what I do for you.”

Because working with him had to feel like a thankless job. It wasn’t unusual for Alex to be bouncing five or six different projects, to need his attention directed to whichever one wasn’t causing him to slam his head into the wall. Today that had been the interview with the individuals in Cuba creating the very first Cuban indie game. Tomorrow it would be something else, and without someone to keep him in line, somethings would likely go undone.

So Angelica did that. She made sure he went to bed, she made sure he finished things, she made sure he ate. She also made a rather large sum off of him for her efforts, but that didn’t change things. She was his editor, not his personal assistant.

Maybe babysitter would feel less intrusive if he framed it that way. Personal assistant didn’t have quite as humiliating of a ring to it.

But Angelica said she didn’t mind. So maybe, maybe they could make this work. He could be more appreciative. He could. “Have chocolates at my desk for you, check.”

Keep it light hearted because if not, he was going to crumble.

Thankfully, Angelica didn’t push, just hummed. “I prefer flowers. Tonight, however, you can start by doing the dishes.”

Grousing would only prove her point, but cleaning his own place didn’t exactly feel like being appreciative. Still- he had his orders. “Yes, Ma’am.”

The honorific bought him some time, allowing him to whisk away the bowls that they’d been using while Angelica sat there. Probably shocked that he knew how to be respectful.

Of course, her inaction didn’t last long and Alex huffed when she finally followed him, pulling the plates from the dishwasher. Instructed him to do it right this time.

Something she kept repeating, forcing him to take out the trash. To actually start that load of laundry. But it was kind of nice, in a way. A hand on his shoulder when he didn’t do something quite the way she wanted, soft praise when he did well. Nothing fancy, Angelica never swooned over him the way other people did. Made the slightest sign she was pleased mean all that much more.

By the end of it, they’d wasted two hours and his place was barely recognizable. Cleaner than it had been since the week he’d left Washington and needed something to distract him.

With all of her goals accomplished, was Angelica going to leave? Alex didn’t think he was ready for that, and Angelica didn’t seem to be rushing out the do  
Had jumped on the opportunity to come see him. Could that have been less about her being annoyed at him for working on a so-called holiday and more about her not wanting to be alone on it?

Or was that just wishful thinking on his part? “Did you ever check out that Netflix series? About the chefs?”

Personally, the french version was Alex’s favorite. Forced him to pay attention, to read the subtitles. He had a passing knowledge of the language, but not quite enough to tune everything out. Plus, it was just soothing in general. Each episode focused on a different element, woven with elegant stories about cooking. How it worked. How things were passed on. It was the kind of interviewing that Alex thrived on.

Which meant he didn’t mind rewatching the episodes, curled up beneath a blanket while Angelica sipped hot chocolate next to him. The fact that he’d even had the things to make hot chocolate had shocked the woman, and it shouldn’t have caused such a warmth in his belly- but it did. At least he was capable of doing something right, of bringing her pleasure.

Another thought that Alex probably needed to go over with a scrub brush later. It was one thing to like the idea that he did work that pleased her- another thing entirely to want her to be happy with him outside of that. 

Definitely later, though. At the moment, he was going to snuggle into his blanket and pretend that he wasn’t aware of the way her eyes occasionally strayed toward him. Probably checking to make sure that he hadn’t snuck his phone into his lap or that he wasn’t dozing off. Part of him wanted to joke, to ask if there would be a pop quiz later-

But this was too nice to ruin. It wasn’t often he got such soft and warm moments with his boss.

After two episodes, Angelica stretched. “I should probably go back home, it’s getting late. You should get to bed as well.”

On impulse, Alex opened his mouth to stop her. “You mean you aren’t going to tuck me?”

Not his brightest moment. Not his brightest moment at all.

But Angelica didn’t scoff. Just looked him over, expression unreadable. One drawn out moment later she tilted her chin toward his bedroom door. “Bed. Now.”

Yes, Ma’am.

Regret flashed through him at Angelica’s disapproving sound when he went to crawl into bed. Could he do nothing right?

“Pajamas, Alex.” At Alex’s blank look, Angelica rubbed at her eyes, clearly exhausted herself. “You’re a heathen.”

Ignored his squirming as she went through his dresser. The gym shorts and tank top that she eventually tossed his way didn’t seem to meet her standards, but at least she dismissed him toward the bathroom to get changed.

There was no denying that Angelica was right. This would be more comfortable than sleeping in his jeans, but it was one of those details that Alex rarely found himself fussing with. He worked until he was exhausted, passed out and then showered to wake himself up in the morning. 

Even though she didn’t tell him too, Alex took the time to brush his teeth. Another thing he probably needed to get better about. So many little things that never crossed his mind. And if they didn’t occur to him immediately? Then they weren’t important, right?

Or not right. Alex swished mouthwash around, trying not to feel ridiculous. He could question his decision to ask Angelica to tuck him in tomorrow when sleep wasn’t tugging at his brain. 

“Better?” Alex tried to grin as he said it, to avoid feeling completely sheepish. 

Tried to hide any blush when Angelica’s eyes tracked over him once more, and then again at the murmured ‘much better’ that came before she nudged him in the direction of his bed. 

Wasn’t quite as successful when she literally tucked him in, pulling the covers up to his neck. Angelica hovered there for a moment, smoothing over the blanket for far longer than necessary. A strange sort of intimacy, especially when she turned her attention to his hair, swiping it back from his face. 

Soft lips pressed against his forehead and then Angelica was gone. Didn’t stop moving until she’d reached the doorway, fingers on the light switch as she told him to sleep tight and not let the bedbugs bite.

The fact that it was the best night’s sleep he’d had in ages, well, it was just because he was actually dressed for bed for once. That was all.

How long Alex spent stroking the hem of the pajamas that found their way to his desk later that week- well, it didn't mean anything either. 

**Author's Note:**

> So, if there is enough interest, this might be a... fuller... verse at some point.


End file.
